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Mandy Moore revealed she has a rare blood disorder which is preventing her from getting an epidural for baby No. 2.
The "Only Hope" singer opened up to TODAY Parents about her autoimmune disorder called immune thrombocytopenic purpura. She said she would give birth to her second baby with husband Taylor Goldsmith without pain relief.
"My platelets are too low for an epidural," Moore said. She also shared that she also went through an unmedicated birth for her first son, Gus, who is now 17 months old. "It was awful. But I can do it one more time. I can climb that mountain again. I wish medication was an option — just the idea of it being on the table is so nice. But we’ll just push forth like we did last time," she added.
Earlier this week, the This Is Us star shared some insight with her followers about her ITP. "I am fine. I just have to continue to get my blood checked — my platelet levels checked — throughout pregnancy. They’re low, but they’ve always been low. But I’m all good. Everything’s good," she said.
Moore's pregnancy is what ultimately caused her to cancel the remainder of her "In Real Life" tour. "As it turns out, being on a set is worlds away from being on a tour bus. It was like trying to sleep on a wooden rollercoaster. Gus would be standing up in his Pack N' Play while the bus was shaking — and I was like, 'No, no, no. We can't do this anymore,'" she said.
She continued, "I foolishly thought 'if I did it before, I can do it again.' But every pregnancy is different. This time, I was caring for a toddler. I was walking around feeling like an absolute shell of myself. ... I was scared I was going to adversely affect my (unborn) baby and his growth. I'd been looking forward to this for a decade and half. But ultimately, nothing trumps your health, and the health of your baby."
For more information about immune thrombocytopenic purpura, click here.